CULTISM AND WAYS OF PREVENTION

By penalysis  On September 17, 2016 In CIVIC EDUCATION 2 Comments

Cultism is the membership and operation of secret cults. It is involvement in cult activities. Secret cult is an extreme group where the members behave in ways that are not acceptable by society.

ORIGIN OF CULTISM

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Several cult groups have existed in Africa for a longtime. The Ogboni was prominent among the Yoruba people. It is a group of elderly men whose major duty was to put a check on the traditional ruler to ensure he did not over step his bounds.
It is generally believed that cultism in Nigerian institutions can be traced to the Pyrates Confraternity formed at the University College, Ibadan, now University of Ibadan in 1952 by Nigeria’s only Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and others. Even though they carried out their operations secretly, their purpose was positive. Some of their objectives were:
1) To compel the colonial government to stop imposing foreign culture on Nigerians, so that Nigerians could be themselves.
2) To work for Nigeria’s independence.
3) To correct the ills of the society by fighting corruption, indiscipline and tribalism.
4) To encourage humanitarian activities such as blood donation and collection of money for charity.
The group was not to harm, maim, kill or destroy. However, due to the nature of the confraternity, some members found it convenient to behave badly. These bad eggs were therefore, expelled from the group. As a result, they formed their own groups and sooner than later, rivalry began among the different groups.

REASONS WHY STUDENTS JOIN CULTS

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1) Family Background: Faulty upbringing encourages some people to join cult. Some parents are cult members and when their children grow, they also become members of secret cult.
2) Economic Hardship: Some students are from a poor background and so when they are induced financially they easily fall prey to their deceiver.
3) Peer Group Influence:  Some people join secret cult as a result of the influence their peers have on them.
4) Injustice: When there is social injustice in the society, some join cult groups or form their own cult groups to seek an avenue to protect injustice in society.
5) Exposure to Violent or Crime Related Films: Exposure to such films that promote violence or crime provide ideas on how to plan and organize crime.
6) Curiosity: A lot of information has been spread about cult members. Some individuals join in order to find out if the things they have heard are true.
7) Security: The need for security due to individual inability to act, think and survive independently make some students join secret cults.